Feeding Chickens

[Arnie]

Hi to all
After reading Sue Hammon's article in the latest issue of the KG it would appear that I am Guilty of over feeding my hens. I have 6 hisex browns and I would like to know how much food should I give my hens daily and how often should they get treats, at the moment they are being feed layers pellets and mixed corn and almost everyday they will get bread,sunflower seeds and at the weekend they get some rice or pasta.
Now that I have written most of what they get i think that they get better fed than I do
I would be grateful for any help on this matter

regards

Kevin

[sandersj89]

It is a bit of a hard one to answer depending on how they are kept.

I have 4 hens, they get layer pellets in the morning when they are restricted to their run. On average they get through about pint of pellets every 2 days. Not sure of the weight, sorry.

Then about mid morning or lunch time they are let out to roam the garden/field. They are then eating insects and grass plus what else they can find such as some bird seed under the feeders.

Each evening at bed time they get 2 or 3 hand fulls of mixed grain scattered in the field and whatever left over veg that is suitable. From time to time they do get cooked pasta but it is a rare treat.

In the winter they also get warm porridge if it is very cold.

Being free range most of the day they do not eat as much pellets as caged birds but they also get a lot more exercise.

Jerry

[Arnie]

Hi Jerry
Thanks for the reply, the hens are kept in a 20ft by 8ft enclosed run and at weekends when I am at the allotment all day they are let out into the plot.I can not let them out of a morning and leave them because we have fox's on site so it is best to keep them in their run, I think I will weigh what I give them and let you know

Regards

Kevin

[Arnie]

Hi jerry,
I have now weighed what I give my hens, and it is 12ozs layers pellets and 12ozs of mixed corn a day.
Now that seems to me to be a bit too much
How much food should I give 6 hens a day.

Regards


Kevin

[sandersj89]

Yes, that seems a little high, especially on the corn.

4oz of pellets a day and 1oz of corn per day is about the level they need.

So for 6 hens 24 ozs of pellets and 6 of corn.

Jerry

[Arnie]

Hi Jerry
I am very grateful for your advice thank you

Regards

Kevin

[John]

Hello Kevin
Feeding/overfeeding is always a tricky one. With my small flock they are fed layers pellets ad lib in a 'top hat' feeder and given a scratch feed of wheat in the evening. In the summer they don't get too much wheat as they are roaming in the bottom of the garden all day and the nights are short. In the winter we give them more wheat as there is less for them to find in the garden and they need a 'warmer' for long cold nights. They get kitchen scraps whenever there are any.

I would say that if your hens have ad lib access to layers pellets and as this is a complete feed then they don't need poultry corn as well - also a complete feed. Regard everything in addition to the feed of layers stuff as a treat feed. Wheat is good because it is less fattening than poultry corn and digested more slowly. My Katie Thear book gives 130g (5oz ?)of layers per bird as a general guide for feeding. So on that reckoning your 6 birds are managing pretty well on 24 oz of feed a day! Why do you give them sunflower seeds - I guess that this is a high energy food and an unnecessary extra?

John

[Diane]

They don't need the mixed corn at this time of the year - just stick to the ad lib layers pellets, fresh water and greens. I wouldn't even bother with the wheat either.

In the winter, however, they do appreciate a handful of mixed corn at teatime - as it will help them go through the longer nights.